Flint marks 7th year of compliance with lead standards

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) today announced that the City of Flint’s Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) monitoring has shown the 90th percentile for lead to be 8 parts per billion (ppb). This result marks the seventh consecutive year that Flint’s water has met the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

“We want the world to know that Flint is a strong community, and both residents and city officials continue to work hard every day to advocate for water as a human right,” Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley said. “We have made many upgrades to our water infrastructure in the last four years, but there is more work to do to rebuild trust. Today, once again, we have strong scientific evidence of the quality of water in the city of Flint, and my continued prayer is that this will help restore Flint residents’ confidence in our water system.”

Since July 2016, the City of Flint’s water system has tested below action levels for both lead and copper during 14 consecutive monitoring periods. The latest six-month monitoring period from Jan. 1, 2023 through June 30, 2023 resulted in a 90th percentile calculation for the samples collected of 8 ppb for lead. This includes Michigan’s stricter-than-federal requirement that a fifth liter sample be collected to better reflect the impact of lead service lines.

The 90th percentile calculation of 8 ppb means 90 percent of the test results used in the calculation came in at or below 8 ppb. The latest testing result is lower than the previous 6-month period result of 9 ppb for lead and remains below the federal action level of 15 ppb.

Test results from 30 residences (Tier 1) and 32 commercial properties (Tier 2) served by lead service lines, showed four sites above the 15 ppb action level. Testing revealed that all four of the results were collected from Tier 2 sites where low water use patterns and aging interior plumbing continue to be contributing factors to lead levels. Of the four elevated results, two of them were attributable to 1st liter samples, which reflect the presence of lead in fixtures and adjoining plumbing. Overall, the results are consistent with data from recent monitoring periods and continue to demonstrate that the city’s corrosion control program is effective.

Tier 2 sites make up a growing portion of Flint’s water sampling pool as Flint’s residential lead service line replacement nears completion. If only the 30 residential sites had been used in the calculation, the result would have been 2 ppb. All sites were notified of their results and actions were taken to reduce exposure.

Strategies to reduce lead exposures in the home can be found on the State’s Mi Lead Safe website.

Michigan in 2018 adopted the nation’s toughest lead rules for drinking water. The state’s Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) requires that all lead service lines in the state be removed. Water supplies are required to replace an average of five percent of their lead service lines annually over a 20-year period that started in 2021. Starting in 2025, the rule lowers the action level to 12 ppb.

Flint’s testing results can be found by visiting the State’s Flint Water website. Additional information about Michigan’s new testing requirements and results state-wide can be found at Mi Lead Safe.

Water tower sends message of Flint community’s strength

The interior of the elevated tank has been cleaned and repainted, tank hatches have been upgraded, and nine steel roof support beams have been replaced. A 12-inch drain and an 8-inch overflow pipe have been completely renovated and a new catch basin has been added. New mixers are ready to be installed in the roof after the elevated tower is back in service.

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No boil water advisory for City of Flint, thanks to secondary water source

“Thanks to the completion of the secondary GCDC pipeline, our water quality is not affected by the GLWA’s major break this morning,” Mayor Neeley said. “My administration has worked diligently over the past two years to ensure that Flint’s water system is protected from malfunctions like these that otherwise would have affected water quality. I want to reassure residents that our city woke up this morning to safe water, with sound and thoughtfully planned infrastructure.”

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Mayor Neeley announces completion of secondary water pipeline project

This $17 million project ensures the City of Flint has a backup water source in an emergency. The City of Flint contracts with the Great Lakes Water Authority for water through a 30-year contract agreement. This project provides a link between the City of Flint’s existing water infrastructure and the Genesee County Drain Commission as an emergency backup in case service from GLWA is ever disrupted. Both the Genesee County Drain Commission and GLWA source their water from Lake Huron.

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